Ignition system.



E G. WILGOX. IGNITION SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 10, 1913.

1,106,432, Patented Aug. 11,1914,

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IGNITION SYSTEM.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 10, 1913.

1,106,432. Patented Aug. 11, 1914.

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IGNITION SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 10, 1913.

Patented Aug. 11, 1914.

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ERNEST C. WILCOX, F MERIDEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE CONNECTICUT TELEPHONE & ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF MERIDEN, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

IGNITION SYSTEM.

Patented Aug. 11', 1914.

Application filed Kay 10, 1913. Serial No. 766,667.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ERNEST C. WILCOX, a citizen of the United States, residing at Meriden, New Haven county, State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ignition Systems, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in battery ignition systems for gas engines and has for its object to provide means for automatically cutting out of circuit the battery when the motor stops in such a position as to leave the battery circuit completely closed. It also has for its object to insert any one of a plurality of batteries and to automatically cut out such battery.

The following is a description of an embodiment of my invention, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 shows a side elevation of an induction coil constituting part of my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 8 is a vertical section of the cap of the induc" tion coil. Fig. 4 is a section on the line ma:, Fig. 1, looking downward. Fig. 5 is a section on the line yg Fig. 3, looking upward. Fig. 6 is a detail of one of the circuit making plungers. Fig. 7 is a detail of the releasing plunger. Fig. 8 is a section on the line 12-2, Fig. 1, looking downward. Fig. 9 is a right hand side view of the parts shown in Fig. 8 with the casing in section on the line w-w, Fig. 8. Fig. 10 is a diagram of circuits in a system embodying my invention. Fig. 11 is a sectional dgtail on the horizontal diameter of Fig.8 with certain parts omitted.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 is a casing containing the primary and secondary coils, condenser, etc., the same being located beneath a diaphragm 2 of insulating material. On the lower side of the diaphragm is a terminal 8 having spring arms carrying projecting pins 4, 4, which pins pass upward through holes in the diaphragm 2. Upon the upper side of the diaphragm are contacts consisting of spring arms 5-5 connected respectively to the free terminals of two batteries 66 (Fig. 10). The other terminals of these batteries are connected together and to a lead 7. The terminal 3 is connected by a conductor 8 to a suitable thermostat, preferably one consisting of a thermostatic couple 9 insulated from its support and a heating coil 10. One end of the coil 10 is connected to the couple 9 and the other terminal is connected by a conductor 11 to the primary coil 12, and the contact 13. Coacting with the contact 13 is a contact 14 mounted'upon the interrupter arm 15 and actuated by the cam 16. The interrupter arm 15 is connected by the conductor 17 to the lead 7. A condenser 18 is placed in shunt around the contacts 13 and 14. In inductive relation to the primary coil 12 1s a secondary coil 19 having one terminal grounded at 20 and the other terminal connected to a distributer 21 for distributing the high tension current to the spark plugs over the circuits 22, 22 22 22".

Mounted in the cap is an oscillating metal plate 23. This plate is mounted upon a revoluble pin 24 and is supported at its edges by projections 25. A spring, 26 surrounding the pin 24 and fastened to the plate 23 and cap 29 tends to make the plate 23 move in a clockwise direction, as shown by the arrow in 4. This plate is provided with holes 2727, for circuit making plungers 28-28. The lower ends of these plungers are of insulating material. These plungers are carried by the upper .wall 29 of the cappassing through this Wall and being provided at their upper ends with push buttons 30-30'. The caps are provided with abutments 31-31 and surrounding the stems of these plungers above the abutments and below the push buttons are springs 3232 which normally tend to lift the plungers upward and hold them in raised position. The plungers are provided with tapered enlargements 3333, having flat upper surfaces which, when the plungers are pushed downward into the position shown at the right hand side of Fig. 3, are caught by the plate 23 which under the impulse of the spring 26 moves into plunger holding position, as shown in Fig. 4, and are thereby held in depressed position. In order to prevent the depression of both of plungers 2828 at the same time, I provide an interlocking plate 36 carried by pins 37 and slotted so that it can-move longitudinally in such a manner that when one plunger, for instance 28, is

depressed as shown in Fig. 3, the plate 36 lies in the path of the tapered portion of the other plunger 28 so as to prevent its being moved downward sufficiently to be caught by the plate 23 until the plunger 28 has been retracted. When the plungers are in the position shown in Fig. 3, a downward movement of the plunger 28 first swings the plate 23 so as to release the plunger 28, and then moves the plate 36 out of the path of the tapered portion of the plunger 28 and into the path of the tapered portion of the plunger 28.. If it is attempted to move both plungers down simultaneously or to move a second plunger down while the first is manually retained in downward position, the plate 36 actuates to prevent such operation.

The plungers 28-28 are located over the free ends of the spring arms 5 5. When the plunger 28 is down, the spring arm 5 is caused to engage thepin 4 on the terminal 3, thus putting the battery 6 into circuit, subject to the control of the contacts 13 and 14. If the plunger 28 is down, it causes the bat tery 6 to be put into'circuit in a similar manner through the spring arm 5 and pin 4.

In order that the battery 6 or 6 may be automatically out out of circuit in case the cam 16 happens to stop in such a position that the contacts 13 and 14 are in engagement, 1 provide a thermostatic controller which acts to release the plunger 28 01-28 under these conditions. In the form shown, this controller consists of the thermostat above described and a buzzer having a-vibrating armature 38 carrying a hammer 39 which when actuated by the magnet 40 hits against the right hand edge of the plate 23, Fig. 4, and by a series of blows causes it to move in a counterclockwise direction so. as to release the depressed plunger. This vibrating armature and its'm'agnet are similar to the armature and magnet in an ordinary electric bell or buzzer, being provided with means for interrupting the circuit through the actuating magnet 40. The magnet 40 is ordinarily out of circuit and ll provide means for putting it in circuit only when the contacts 13 and 14 remain in em gagement for a considerable period with one of the plungers 2828 depressed so as to completely close a battery circuit. In order to automatically put the magnet-4O into circuit under such circumstances, I provide the thermostatic couple "9 surrounded by the heating coil 10 already re ferred to, which thermostatic couple 9 carries a contact 41 adapted to act as an interrupter contact in conjunction with the con tact 42 carried by the vibrating armature: Whene\ er one of the contacts 28-28. is depressed and the contacts 13- and 14 are closed, a circuit is completed through one of the batteries 66 and the heating coil 10. Thus, when the plunger 28- is lowered, and the contacts 13 and 14 are in engagement, a circuit is completed through the battery 6, being as follows: battery 6', spring arm 5, post 4, terminal 3, conductor 8', coil 10, conductor 11, primary coil 12, contacts 13 and'14, interrupter arm 15, conductor 17, lead 7, back to battery 6. The thermostatic couple 9 is of the ordinary type made of metals having different coefi'icients of expansion, the metal on the right, as shown in the diagram in 10, having the higher coeflicient of expansion. The passage of the current-through the heating coil 10 heats up this thermostatic couple so as to cause the contact 41 to move to the left until it makes engagement with the contact 42, completing a circuit through the electromagnet 40, this'circuit being as follows: battery 6, arm 5, pin 4,-terminal 3, conductor 8, thermostatic couple 9, contacts 41-'42, electromagnet 40, and lead 7 back to battery 6. The closing of the circuit at the contacts 4142, energizes the magnet 40 causing it to attract the armature 38. This causes the contact 42 to move, so as to break engagement with the contact 41, whereupon the armature 38 moves backward under the impulse of the retracting spring 38 until the engagement is again made between the contacts 41 and 42, the action being then re peated so as to cause'a continued vibration of the armature 38. The hammer 39 connected to, the armature 38 vibrates With it and hitting upon the edge of the plate 23, gradually causes it to move to a position where it releases the depressed plunger. I In order to insure the return of the contact 42 to a position where it will have sufiicient engagement with the contact 41, T provide a spring stop 43 against which bears the endg of an adjusting screw 44. By this adjusting screw, the armature 38 and contact 42 can be adjusted into proper position. The spring 43 permits the contact 42 to make full engagement with the contact 41 even if the contact 41 has retreated slightly. The current Which passes through the coils 10 and 12 when the engine is running, being interrupted frequently by the engagement and disengagement of the contacts 13 and 14, is 'on account of the self-induction of the circuit, smaller than the current which passes through these coils if the contacts 13 and 14 are kept in engagement for a considerable period. The coil 10 is, therefore, so proportioned that the current passing through it when the engine is running is not suflicient to heat the thermostatic couple 9 so as to cause it to move the contact 41 into engagement with the contact 42. The releasing device, therefore, does .not operate when the engine is running, The coil 10, however, is so proportioned that when the engine stops, the steady current passing through thecoil 10, due-to thepresence of a continuously closed circuit, will heat the thermostatic couple 9 sufliciently, so as to cause the contact 41 to move into engagement with the contact 42. As a result, the

automatic circuit opening device does not come into operation when the engine is running, but docs come into operation when the engine has stopped and the circuit is completely closed through either battery. The

action of the thermostat may be timed so as to bring the automatic circuit opening device into operation only after the engine has been stopped for a given period, and I preferably so proportion the coil 10 that the thermostat will not cause the contact 41 to wave so as to complete the circuit until after the engine has been stopped for half or hree-quarters of a minute. This is neces sary since, if the thermostat acted too soon, itmight at some times interfere with the cranking or other method of starting the engine. In addition to this automatic means for opening the circuit, I provide a manual means consisting of a plunger 45 having a tapered head 46 actuated by a push but-ton 47 and retracted by a spring 47. This tapered head 46 engages a hole 48 in the plate 13, so that when the push button 47 is tapered, the plate 23 is thereby caused to revolve in a counterclockwise direction to a position where it will release whichever of the plungers 28-28 may happen to be depressed. The diagram shown in Fig. lOshows the arrangement of the circuits and shows diagrammatically a modification of the plunger retaining and interlocking devices in which the retaining plate is the longitudinally movable plate 23, normally tending to move to the right under the influence of the spring 26, this form being more suited for diagrammatical illustration.

WVhile I have in the foregoing description set out my preferred form, as will be evident to those skilled in the art, my invention permits of various modifications without departing from the spirit thereof or the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In an ignition system, the combination of a battery, an induction coil, an interrupter, contact making means for cutting said elements in and out of circuit normally tending to move to open position, means for retaining said contact making means in closed position when moved thereto, a thermostat controlled by said means and in circuit with said battery when the circuit through said interrupter is completely closed, a buzzer controlled by said thermostat for retracting said retaining means when said circuit through said interrupter is completely closed for a predetermined period.

In an ignition system, the combination of a battery, an induction coil, an interrupter, contact making means for cutting said elements in and out of circuit normally tending to move to open position, means for retaining said contact making means in closed position when moved thereto, a thermostat controlled by said means and in circuit with said battery when the circuit through said interrupter is completely closed, a buzzer controlled by said thermostat for retracting said retaining means when said circuit through said interrupter is completely closed for a predetermined period, said buzzer being in shunt to said primary coil.

3. In an ignition system, the combination of a battery, an induction coil, an interrupter, contact making means for cutting said elements in and out of circuit normally tending to move to open position, means for retaining said contact making means in closed position when moved thereto, a thermostat controlled by said means and in circuit with said battery when the circuit through said interrupter is completely closed, a buzzer controlled by said thermostat for retracting said retaining means when said circuit through said interrupter is completely closed for a predetermined period, said buzzer being in shunt to said primary coil, and one of the interrupter contacts of said buzzer being carried by the movable portion of said thermostat.

l. In an ignition system, the combination of a battery, an induction coil, an interrupter, contact making means for cutting said elements in and out of circuit normally tending to move to open position, means for retaining said contact making means in closed position when moved thereto, a thermostat controlled by said means and in circuit with said battery when the circuit through said interrupter is completely closed, a buzzer controlled by said thermostat for retracting said retaining means when said circuit through said interrupter is completely closed for a predetermined period. said buzzer being in shunt to said primary coil, said thermostat consisting of a thermostatic couple and an electric heating coil in proximity thereto, the free end of said couple carrying one of the interrupter contacts of said buzzer.

5. In an ignition system, the combination of two batteries, an induction coil, an inter rupter, two contact making means for connecting said batteries one at a time in series with said coil and interrupter, a thermostat controlled by said contact making means and in circuit with either of said batteries when the circuit through either of said batteries and interrupter is completely closed, and means controlled by said thermostattor returning saidcontact making means to open position when said circuit is completely closed for a predetermined period and an interlocking member blocking one of said contact making means whenever the other is actuated to connect a battery in circuit.

6. In an ignition system, the combination of tWo batteries, an induction coil, an interrupter, contact making means for connecting said batteries one at a time in series with said coil and interrupter, a thermostat controlled by said contact making means and in circuit with either of said batteries When the circuit through either of said batteries and interrupter is completely closed, and means controlled by said thermostat for returning said contact making means to open position When said circuit is completely closed for a predetermined period, and means for preventing placing both of said batteries in circuit at the same time.

7. In an ignition sytem, the combination of a battery, an induction coil, an interrupter, contact making means for cutting said elements in and out of circuit normally tending to move to open position, means for retaining said contact making means in closed position When moved thereto, a thermostat controlled by said means and in circuit with said battery When the circuit through said interrupter is completely closed, a buzzer controlled by said thermostat for retracting said retaining means when said circuit through said interrupter is completely closed for a predetermined period, said buzzer being in shunt to said primary coil, said thermostat having a movable bar carrying a contact for completing the circuit through said buzzer.

ERNEST C. WILCOX.

Witnesses:

G. H. DUTToN, A. B. COSMAN. 

